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http://www.notinourname.net/courage.htm First woman conscientious objector to war in Iraq to take public stand Marisa Handler November 17, 2005 The thing that I revere most in this world is life, and I will never take another persons life, says 22-year-old Army National Guard Specialist Katherine Jashinski, voice strong as she reads her statement to the press. Just as others have faith in God, I have faith in humanity. I have a deeply held belief that people must solve all conflicts through peaceful diplomacy and without the use of violence. Jashinski has been on active duty with the 111th ASG since January of this year. In 2004, she applied for discharge as a Conscientious Objector. The Army recently denied her claim. This week, she was ordered to weapons training and deployment. Now I have come to the point where I am forced to choose between my legal obligation to the Army and my deepest moral values, Jashinski continues. I want to make it clear that I will not compromise my beliefs for any reason. I have a moral obligation not only to myself but to the world as a whole, and this is more important than any contract. Jashinski entered the Texas Army National Guard at19. After enlisting, her travels and reading exposed her to a wide range of different people and new ideas, leading her to question her previously-held belief that war is an inevitable part of life. Violence only begets more violence, continues Jashinski. Because I believe so strongly in non-violence, I cannot perform any role in the military. Any person doing any job in the Army contributes in some way to the planning, preparation or implementation of war. By Jashinskis side stand fellow Conscientious Objectors Aidan Delgado and Aimee Allison. Allison is Jashinskis counselor; she objected to the Persian Gulf War in 1990 and has since worked as a counselor to other soldiers considering refusing to serve. Mostly I work with soldiers who never go public, says Allison. Its very exciting when we have a soldier willing to speak truth to power. Nine out of ten in the military have never even heard of the conscientious objector option. But as we continue our work, more are learning about this option, and the people who come public are reflecting its diversity. Were seeing women and people of color speaking out, which is really significant. Jashinski makes her statement just outside the gates to the School of the Americas (SOA) in Fort Benning, Georgia, as thousands gather on the eve of a national demonstration calling for its closure. As we gather in peace we must address the war in Iraq, says School of Americas Watch founder Roy Bourgeois. U.S. foreign policy as it exists today is fundamentally out of alignment with Americans values of peace and justice. The SOA is a U.S. Army training school that trains Latin American military personnel in counter-insurgency, military intelligence, and counter-narcotics operations. Over 60,000 Latin American soldiers have attended the SOA since its inception in 1946, and its graduates have been responsible for some of the most notorious human rights abuses on record. Among others, its alumni have been responsible for the El Mozote massacre of 900 civilians in El Salvador, the Uraba massacre in Colombia, and the assassination of Archbishop Oscar Romero, as well as hundreds of human rights abuses. HR 1217, legislation calling for the close of the SOA, currently has 122 co-sponsors in the House of Representatives. This weekend is going to be a big celebration of hope, says Bourgeois. Something happens here. Its hard to describe. People start feeling more empowered to speak out. Certainly Jashinski sets the tone. I will exercise my every legal right not to pick up a weapon, and to participate in war effort, she concludes. I am prepared to accept the consequences of adhering to my beliefs. Her voice is thick, laden with emotion. What characterizes a conscientious objector is their willingness to face adversity and uphold their values at any cost. We do this not because it is easy or popular, but because we are unable to do otherwise. She steps back from the microphone and turns to hug Allison as we who are watching begin to applaud. ------------- Army SPC Katherine Jashinski's statement read near Fort Benning gate November 17, 2005 My name is Katherine Jashinski. I am a SPC in the Texas Army National Guard. I was born in Milwaukee, WI and I am 22 years old. When I graduated high school I moved to Austin, TX to attend college. At age 19 I enlisted in the Guard as a cook because I wanted to experience military life. When I enlisted I believed that killing was immoral, but also that war was an inevitable part of life and therefore, an exception to the rule. After enlisting I began the slow transformation into adulthood. Like many teenagers who leave their home for the first time, I went through a period of growth and soul searching. I encountered many new people and ideas that broadly expanded my narrow experiences. After reading essays by Bertrand Russel and traveling to the South Pacific and talking to people from all over the world, my beliefs about humanity and its relation to war changed. I began to see a bigger picture of the world and I started to reevaluate everything that I had been taught about war as a child. I developed the belief that taking human life was wrong and war was no exception. I was then able to clarify who I am and what it is that I stand for. The thing that I revere most in this world is life, and I will never take another person's life. Just as others have faith in God, I have faith in humanity I have a deeply held belief that people must solve all conflicts through peaceful diplomacy and without the use of violence. Violence only begets more violence. Because I believe so strongly in non-violence, I cannot perform any role in the military. Any person doing any job in the Army, contributes in some way to the planning, preparation or implementation of war. For eighteen months, while my CO status was pending, I have honored my commitment to the Army and done everything that they asked of me. However, I was ordered to Ft. Benning last Sunday to complete weapons training in preparation to deploy for war. Now I have come to the point where I am forced to choose between my legal obligation to the Army and my deepest moral values. I want to make it clear that I will not compromise my beliefs for any reason. I have a moral obligation not only to myself but to the world as a whole, and this is more important than any contract. I have come to my beliefs through personal, intense, reflection and study. They are everything that I am and all that I stand for. After much thought and contemplation about the effect my decision will have on my future, my family, the possibility of prison, and the inevitable scorn and ridicule that I will face, I am completely resolute. I will exercise my every legal right not pick up a weapon, and to participate in war effort. I am determined to be discharged as a CO, and while undergoing the appeals process; I will continue to follow orders that do not conflict with my conscience until my status has been resolved. I am prepared to accept the consequences of adhering to my beliefs. What characterizes a conscientious objector is their willingness to face adversity and uphold their values at any cost. We do this not because it is easy or popular, but because we are unable to do otherwise. thank you. _____________________________ Note: This message comes from the peace-justice-news e-mail mailing list of articles and commentaries about peace and social justice issues, activism, etc. If you do not regularly receive mailings from this list or have received this message as a forward from someone else and would like to be added to the list, send a blank e-mail with the subject "subscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED] or you can visit: http://lists.enabled.com/mailman/listinfo/peace-justice-news Go to that same web address to view the list's archives or to unsubscribe. E-mail accounts that become full, inactive or out of order for more than a few days will become disabled or deleted from this list. FAIR USE NOTICE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. 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